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Research commissioned by EDF Energy, which supports and promotes Bike Week, has returned the verdict that as much as 58 per cent of bikes in the country lay dormant and more or less unused.
According to the survey, over half of us own bikes (55 per cent), but almost three-fifths (58 per cent) of the bikes owned by Britons are left to gather dust for more than a fortnight at a time.
Of those that use their bikes women are much less likely than men to pedal to work according to the survey. It was found that a quarter (25 per cent) of male bike-owners say that they use their bike for their daily commute, but only ten per cent of female bike-owners say they do the same. Third party research has also shown that the proportion of women cycling once a week has fallen by over 35,000 in the last two years, whereas the number of men doing so has risen by over 100,000 in the same period.
The energy supplier is now encouraging UK residents to get out to one of the many hundred Bike Week events with a mechanic on site in order to get their bikes back on the road.
Team Green Britain Ambassador Ed Clancy said: “Cycling isn’t just a sporting activity – it can be a safe, convenient way of getting around – it’s cheap, great for your health and fitness and good for the environment. I’m working with EDF Energy to encourage people to rescue their old bikes from the shed. Even if you think it’s seen better days, it’s probably easier than you think to get it roadworthy again. Visit www.bikeweek.org and find a Team Green Britain Bike Week event near you that can help you get cycling again."
2,000 adults were polled as part of the research.
